S Korea-France-roundtable

▲ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (5th from L, F) and French President Emmanuel Macron (6th from L, F) pose for a photo with participants at a business roundtable in Paris on Sept. 8, 2026, in this pool photo. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

By Park Boram

PARIS, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday highlighted a broad range of areas for cooperation between South Korea and France, raising the prospect of new market opportunities through closer bilateral collaboration.

Lee made the remarks at a business roundtable that brought together dozens of government and corporate officials from South Korea and France in Paris to explore joint business opportunities, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

The event, in particular, focused on seeking joint projects and investment in the artificial intelligence, mobility, energy and beauty industries.

The discussion included plans to pursue investment cooperation between Samsung Electronics Co. and France's Mistral AI as well as a partnership between the French firm and South Korean internet portal Naver to expand into the sovereign AI market.

After hearing from participants, Lee said he could conclude that South Korea and France have a broad range of sectors in which they could cooperate, according to Kang.

Joint research and development and investment in new industries could shorten the time needed for development pursued independently and improve investment efficiency, Lee also said.

In addition to advanced industries, culture and arts could be new areas in which the two countries could work together to explore market opportunities, Lee said, expressing hope for enhanced cooperation between South Korean and French companies and governments.

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